The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for producing project management scheduling charts. More particularly, this invention pertains to a system and method for generating and updating project management scheduling charts (PMSCs).
Project management scheduling tools for generating PMSCs are known in the art and can be generally classified into two types: Critical Path Method tools and Graphic Portrayal tools. Critical Path Method tools are primarily data-oriented tools used for planning work projects and include software programs, such as Microsoft Project, Open Plan, and Primavera. An example of a data-oriented project management scheduling chart (DOPMSC) generated by a Microsoft Project software program is shown in FIG. 1. Graphic Portrayal tools, on the other hand, are primarily graphic-oriented tools used for graphically displaying work projects and include software programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, CorelDraw, Microsoft Excel, and Milestones Professional. An example of a graphic-oriented project management scheduling chart (GOPMSC) generated using a Milestones Professional software program is shown in FIG. 2.
Critical Path Method tools are necessary to generate Integrated Master Schedule Charts for work projects. Integrated Master Schedule Charts are DOPMSCs and are used for a variety of purposes including creating a logical model of a project, ensuring that a project will be completed by a certain time, applying resources to various tasks, tracking hand-offs between work groups, comparing work progress with work scheduled, monitoring critical paths, creating and implementing workarounds, and understanding the effect of schedule movement. Integrated Master Schedule Charts are known in the art and an example of an Integrated Master Schedule Chart generated by Microsoft Project is shown in FIG. 3. While Critical Path Method tools are useful in generating Integrated Master Schedule Charts, these tools are not as useful when communicating the information contained in an Integrated Master Schedule Chart to management personnel.
First, if the Integrated Master Schedule Chart is printed out, it usually includes multiple pages and can be difficult to understand. If the information contained in the Integrated Master Schedule Chart is used to generate a Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) chart, which can be used to communicate the information contained in an Integrated Master Schedule, the resulting PERT chart is large and bulky. In addition, summary rollups provided by Critical Path Method tools are typically too generic and the graphics overviews provided by Critical Path Method tools are not customizable. Finally, it is difficult to communicate “What If” scenarios and changes to management and customers, as well as to integrate other information, such as pictures and graphics, using Critical Path Method tools. In short, it is difficult to portray a desired message using Critical Path Method tools.
To overcome some of the problems associated with Critical Path Method tools, the information contained in an Integrated Master Schedule Chart is transferred to a Graphics Portrayal tool, which can be used to generate GOPMSCs. A typical GOPMSC generated by a Milestones Professional software program is shown in FIG. 2. Graphing the information contained in an Integrated Master Schedule using a Graphics Portrayal tool, however, is also problematic.
Because there is no information link between a Critical Path Method tool and a Graphic Portrayal tool, information must be manually transferred from the Critical Path Method tool to the Graphic Portrayal tool in order to generate the GOPMSC using the Graphic Portrayal tool. Second, if the information contained in the Critical Path Method tool changes, the information contained in both the Critical Path Method tool and the Graphic Portrayal tool must be manually updated. This process usually involves updating the information contained in the Critical Path Method tool, updating the data in the Graphics Portrayal tool, generating revised GOPMSCs using the Graphics Portrayal tool, checking the revised GOPMSCs for errors that typically occur when the information is manually transferred from the Critical Path Method tool to the Graphics Portrayal tool, and correcting any errors as necessary. This process is very time consuming. In fact, approximately 40% of program analyst time is spent updating GOPMSCs instead of solving scheduling problems. As a result of the time consuming nature of updating GOPMSCs, in many cases only near term items in these charts are updated. In some cases, when the program analyst does not have enough time to update all of the charts, many charts are actually dropped.
In addition to being time consuming, manually updating GOPMSCs is also very expensive. The average work project requires the updating of twelve (12) charts per month, or one hundred forty-four (144) charts per year. With an average manual update time per chart of six (6) hours, it takes eight hundred sixty-four (864) hours per year to manually update charts. At an average cost of $40 per hour, it costs $34,560 per year to update GOPMSCs.
Two of the prior art software programs mentioned previously, Microsoft Project and Milestones Professional, do provide features that are useful in updating DOPMSCs and GOPMSCs. Microsoft Project 2000, published by Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Wash. 98052-6399, is a software program designed to generate DOPMSCs using a conventional personal computer (PC) having a Pentium 75 MHz or higher processor, 30-204 MB of available hard-disk space, 24-40 MB of RAM, VGA or higher resolution monitor (Super VGA recommended), Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 2000 operating system, CD-ROM drive, and a Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse, or compatible pointing device. This software program allows a user to link information in one DOPMSC to information in another DOPMSC or to information in another software program, such as Microsoft Excel. As a result, when two charts are linked together, changing the information in one of the linked charts changes the information in both charts, thereby reducing the amount of time required to update the DOPMSC. In a similar manner, when a chart is linked to information in another software program, changing the information in the software program changes the information in the chart and changing the information in the chart changes the information in the software program. While the information link provided by Microsoft Project does reduce the amount of time required to update DOPMSCs, it does not reduce the amount of time required to update GOPMSCs.
Milestones Professional 2000, published by KIDASA Software, Inc., 1114 Lost Creek Boulevard, Suite 300, Austin, Tex. 78746, is designed to generate GOPMSCs and to run on a conventional personal computer having 28 MB of disc space and a Windows 95, 98, NT, or 2000 operating system. This software program allows a user to link information from one GOPMSC to information contained in another GOPMSC. Accordingly, when the information is updated in one chart, the data is updated in both charts.
The information link provided by Milestones Professional, however, has several disadvantages. First, the link does not allow a user to link a chart data element, i.e., a symbol associated with a Start Date, Finish Date, etc., in a GOPMSC to multiple source data elements in one or more DOPMSCs. In addition, the link does not allow a user to select one of the linked source data elements to be used when generating an updated version of the GOPMSC, a comparison GOPMSC, or a “What If” GOPMSC.
What is needed, then, is a less time-consuming and less expensive system and method for generating and updating GOPMSCs.